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Russell Wilson will likely make his preseason debut as his Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Chargers Saturday evening. These two west-coast teams both have playoff aspirations. Each one will look to end the preseason on a high note. Below, we preview this Seahawks vs Chargers matchup.
Seattle Seahawks vs Los Angeles Chargers: What you need to know
- The Seahawks host Los Angeles at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday Aug. 28 at 10:00 PM ET.
- Sportsnaut forecasts the Seattle Seahawks will beat the Los Angeles Chargers, 23-20.
- Odds: Seahawks are 5.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 35.5.
Russell Wilson vs Los Angeles Chargers starters
Russell Wilson hoped to play last week. However, head coach Pete Carroll and Co. opted to sit the star quarterback. Look for Wilson to get some action in when Seattle wraps up its preseason action on Saturday.
As for the Chargers, new head coach Brandon Staley has taken to the theme that was present during his days with the Los Angeles Rams. That means, the absence of starters during the preseason.
- Russell Wilson’s company: A lot was made this past offseason about Wilson’s unhappiness over the direction of the organization. Primarily, the Super Bowl quarterback has issues with pass protection in front of him. It makes sense for Carroll and Co. to get him some reps with the first-team offensive line as well as star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in this preseason finale.
- Looking for depth in Los Angeles: Outside of Kenneth Murray, Uchenna Nwosu and stud rookie corner Asante Samuel Jr., very few of the Chargers regulars on defense played in last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Expect that to be a continued theme come Saturday. We’re now intrigued to see how depth options such as Nick Niemann and Cole Christiansen play in this one.
Advantage: Russell Wilson
Click here to find out where the Seahawks and Chargers stand in our most-recent NFL power rankings
Easton Stick vs Chase Daniel
Second-year quarterback Justin Herbert will not see the field during the preseason. That’s by design. Rather, it’s now all about who will get the call to be Herbert’s primary backup once the regular season gets going.
Los Angeles has been high on Stick since selecting the North Dakota State product in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. On the other hand, Daniel appears to be on his last legs as a viable backup option in the NFL.
Click here to find out where Justin Herbert stands in our QB rankings
- Chargers to stick with Easton? Los Angeles had a good thing going last season with Tyrod Taylor as Herbert’s backup. It’s a bit more questionable heading into Week 1. All things equal, they would love for Stick to earn the No. 2 job. The 25-year-old signal caller completed 10-of-14 passes for 85 yards and a score last season.
- Chase Daniel could be on his way out: After collecting an absurd $37.83 million throughout his first 11 seasons (five career starts), Daniel is now battling for a spot on the Chargers’ 53-man roster. We have absolutely no idea whether Los Angeles will keep three quarterbacks. If not, this might be his last appearance in a Chargers uniform.
Advantage: Easton Stick
Seattle Seahawks offensive line vs Los Angeles Chargers pass rushers
With the contract situation of Duane Brown still unsettled, there’s very little reason to believe he’ll play in Seattle’s preseason finale. Even then, it’s high time that the Hawks throw out the rest of their starters for Wilson in this game.
Los Angeles is relying on the aforementioned Nwosu to pack a pass-rush punch opposite Joey Bosa this coming season. Hence, why he’s getting a lot of exhibition play. He joins others in attempting to make a statement here.
- Protecting the franchise: Since entering the NFL back in 2012, Wilson has been sacked a league-high 394 times. That includes 146 times over the past three seasons alone. This just isn’t sustainable. It’s now up to the likes of Brandon Shell, Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis to change that.
- Getting after it: Brandon Staley was not for his swarming defense with the Rams a season ago. In addition to Bosa and Nwosu, the first-year head coach hopes he has the depth to do that again in 2021. Potentially going up against Seattle’s No. 1 offensive line early on Saturday will give him a chance to see what he has.
Advantage: Los Angeles Chargers
Bottom line: It’s hard to gauge where both of these two west-coast teams are heading into the regular season. In reality, this Seahawks vs Chargers game likely won’t tell us a whole lot. Even then, there’s certaint things to pay attention to.